In this Act—

• “aquaculture” means the breeding, rearing, growing or cultivation of—

  1. a

     any fish or other aquatic animal,

  2. b

     seaweed or any other aquatic plant, or

  3. c

     any other aquatic organism;

• “aquaculture activities” means any of the following (whether or not carried out in the course of a business or employment)—

  1. a

     aquaculture;

  2. b

     harvesting aquaculture organisms;

  3. c

     operating vessels for harvesting or processing aquaculture organisms;

  4. d

     storing or transporting aquaculture organisms;

  5. e

     loading and unloading aquaculture organisms;

  6. f

     processing aquaculture organisms;

• “aquaculture organism” means an aquatic organism resulting from aquaculture;

• “the baselines” means the baselines established by the Territorial Sea (Baselines) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1353);

• “British fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995,

  2. b

     which is British-owned, or

  3. c

     which is registered under the law of Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man;

• “British-owned” means owned by—

  1. a

     a person who is for the purposes of Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 a person qualified to own a British ship, or

  2. b

     two or more persons any one of whom is for those purposes a person so qualified;

• “bycatch” means—

  1. a

     fish that are caught in the course of fishing for fish of a different description, or

  2. b

     animals other than fish that are caught in the course of fishing;

• “catch quota” has the meaning given by section 23(5)(a);

• “a charging scheme” has the meaning given by section 28(1);

• “commercial aquaculture activities” means—

  1. a

     any aquaculture activity carried out in the course of a business or employment;

  2. b

     selling aquaculture organisms (whether wholesale or retail);

• “commercial fish activities” means—

  1. a

     any fish activity carried out in the course of a business or employment;

  2. b

     selling fish or fish products (whether wholesale or retail);

• “commercial fish or aquaculture activities” means commercial fish activities or commercial aquaculture activities;

• “the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy;

• “effort quota” has the meaning given by section 23(5)(b);

• “English fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and

  2. b

     whose entry in the register specifies a port in England as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging;

• “English sea fishing licence” means a licence granted under section 15 in respect of an English fishing boat;

• “fish” includes shellfish;

• “fish activities” means any of the following (whether or not carried out in the course of a business or employment)—

  1. a

     catching fish;

  2. b

     operating vessels for catching or processing fish;

  3. c

     transporting fish or fish products;

  4. d

     loading and unloading fish or fish products;

  5. e

     processing fish;

• “fish and aquaculture activities” means fish activities and aquaculture activities;

• “fisheries management plan” has the meaning given by section 2(6);

• “the fisheries objectives” has the meaning given by section 1(1);

• “the fisheries policy authorities” means—

  1. a

     the Secretary of State,

  2. b

     the Scottish Ministers,

  3. c

     the Welsh Ministers, and

  4. d

     the Northern Ireland department;

• “fishery products” means—

  1. a

     fish or other aquatic organisms resulting from fishing or aquaculture, or

  2. b

     products derived from aquatic organisms within paragraph (a);

• “fishing boat” means a vessel of whatever size, and in whatever way propelled, which is for the time being employed in sea fishing;

• “foreign fishing boat” means a fishing boat which is not a British fishing boat;

• “home port”, in relation to a fishing boat which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, means the port specified in the boat's entry in that register as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging;

• “inland waters” has the meaning given by section 221(1) of the Water Resources Act 1991;

• “inter-branch organisation” means an organisation established under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and recognised in accordance with Section 2 of Chapter 2 of that Regulation;

• “international obligation of the United Kingdom” includes any obligation that arises or may arise under an international agreement or arrangement to which the United Kingdom is a party;

• “JFS” means a joint fisheries statement;

• “joint fisheries statement” has the meaning given by section 2(1);

• “the marine and aquatic environment” includes—

  1. a

     the natural beauty or amenity of marine or coastal areas, or of inland waters or waterside areas,

  2. b

     features of archaeological or historic interest in those areas, and

  3. c

     flora and fauna which are dependent on, or associated with, a marine or coastal, or aquatic or waterside, environment;

• “marine stocks” means stocks of available and accessible living marine aquatic species, including anadromous and catadromous species during their marine life;

• “master”, in relation to a fishing boat, includes the person for the time being in command or charge of the boat;

• “maximum sustainable yield” means the highest theoretical equilibrium yield that can be continuously taken on average from a marine stock under existing environmental conditions without significantly affecting the reproduction process;

• “mile” means an international nautical mile of 1,852 metres;

• “minimum conservation reference size”, in relation to an aquatic organism, means the size of a member of the species of which the organism is a member, at the level of maturity of that organism, below which capture or retention is prohibited or restricted;

• “Minister of the Crown” has the same meaning as in the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975 (see section 8(1) of that Act);

• “Northern Ireland” and “the Northern Ireland zone” have the same meaning as in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (see section 98(1) and (8) of that Act);

• “the Northern Ireland department” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland;

• “Northern Ireland fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and

  2. b

     whose entry in the register specifies a port in Northern Ireland as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging;

• “primary legislation” means—

  1. a

     an Act of Parliament,

  2. b

     an Act of the Scottish Parliament,

  3. c

     a Measure or Act of Senedd Cymru, or

  4. d

     Northern Ireland legislation;

• “processing”, in relation to fish or any other aquatic organism, includes preserving or preparing the organism, or producing any substance or article from it, by any method for human or animal consumption;

• “producer organisation” means an organisation established under Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and recognised in accordance with Section 2 of Chapter 2 of that Regulation;

• “Scotland” and “the Scottish zone” have the same meaning as in the Scotland Act 1998 (see section 126(1) and (2) of that Act);

• “Scottish fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and

  2. b

     whose entry in the register specifies a port in Scotland as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging;

• “sea fish” means fish of any kind found in the sea;

• “sea fishing licence” has the meaning given by section 18(1);

• “sea fish licensing authority” means—

  1. a

     the Scottish Ministers,

  2. b

     the Welsh Ministers,

  3. c

     the Northern Ireland department, or

  4. d

     the Marine Management Organisation;

• “Secretary of State fisheries statement” has the meaning given by section 4(4);

• “sensitive species” means—

  1. a

     any species of animal or plant listed in Annex II or IV of Directive 92/43/EEC of the Council of the European Communities on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna (as amended from time to time),

  2. b

     any other species of animal or plant, other than a species of fish, whose habitat, distribution, population size or population condition is adversely affected by pressures arising from fishing or other human activities, or

  3. c

     any species of bird;

• “shellfish” includes molluscs and crustaceans of any kind found in the sea or inland waters;

• “SSFS” means a Secretary of State fisheries statement;

• “subordinate legislation” means an instrument made under primary legislation or under F1assimilated direct legislation;

• “sustainable level”, in relation to a marine stock, means a level of that stock above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield;

• “UK fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, or

  2. b

     which is British-owned;

• “Wales” and “the Welsh zone” have the same meaning as in the Government of Wales Act 2006 (see section 158(1) and (3) of that Act);

• “Welsh fishing boat” means a fishing boat—

  1. a

     which is registered in the United Kingdom under Part 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and

  2. b

     whose entry in the register specifies a port in Wales as the port to which the boat is to be treated as belonging.